General Reference Center:
A general interest database that
integrates a variety of sources
in one easy-to-use interface.
Use General Reference Center
to find articles from magazines,
reference books, and
newspapers, many with full-text
and images.

Why is writing for the web different?
Reading from a computer screen
is:
• tiring to your eyes
• 25% slower than print reading.
People are less likely to read long
pieces of text online then in print.
Jakob Nielsen: http://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-web-users-scaninstead-reading/

Questions before writing
Before you write anything, ask yourself:
• Why am I creating this page?
• Who am I talking to?
• What is my main message?
• Does the user need it?
• What do I want the user to do after reading it?
Every page must have a clear purpose!

Content accessibility
Content is truly accessible only if it can be used by people
with disabilities.
Patrons with disabilities must be able to use everything:
• Links
• Buttons
• Form controls
• Images
• Etc

Go back and check your work
Check your work:
• before you publish your stuff
• after you see it online
• again next week (the article will be
different the next time you look).
Keep asking yourself:
• Is this clear?
• Is there a simpler way to say this?
• Is there a shorter way to say this?
• Is this even necessary?